Sarah Elfreth (D) won the Democratic primary for Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District on May 14, 2024. Elfreth received 36.0% of the vote. Harry Dunn (D) finished in second place with 25.0%. Mark S. Chang (D), Michael Coburn (D), Malcolm Colombo (D), Abigail Diehl (D), Lindsay Donahue (D), Mark Gosnell (D), Terri L. Hill (D), Aisha Khan (D), Clarence Lam (D), Matt Libber (D), Kristin Lyman Nabors (D), John Morse (D), Jake Pretot (D), Don Quinn (D), Dan Rupli (D), Gary Schuman (D), Stewart Silver (D), and Jeffrey Woodard (D) also ran in the primary.
Dominguez, Dunn, Elfreth, and Rogers led in polling and media attention. Incumbent Rep. John Sarbanes did not run for re-election, meaning the congressional seat was open.
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated the district as a safe or solid Democratic seat. These ratings indicate that the winner of the Democratic primary will have an edge in the Nov. 5 general election.
As of April 24, 2024, Dunn led all candidates in campaign finance with $4.6 million. The next closest candidate was Elfreth with $1.5 million. Dunn also led the field in campaign spending with $3.8 million, followed by Elfreth with $1.2 million.
Three candidates – Dominguez, Dunn, and Morse – criticized the United Democracy Project (UDP), a super PAC affiliated with the pro-Israel lobbying group the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), for advertisements promoting Elfreth’s record in the Maryland state Legislature. During a joint interview with Dominguez and Morse, Dunn called the United Democracy Project a beneficiary of “MAGA money,” a term associated with the platform of former President Donald Trump (R) and candidates who say they support Trump’s agenda. The three candidates did not mention Elfreth by name, though they criticized the PAC for engaging in outside political spending. The advertisement focused on Elfreth’s stances on abortion access, child care, democracy, and the environment, though it did not mention Elfreth’s stance on the United States’ role in the war between Israel and Hamas. In an interview, Elfreth said she was unaware that UDP ran an advertisement on her behalf until it was released.
Before the UDP’s advertisement in support of Elfreth, the United States’ role in the war between Israel and Hamas had not been a central issue in the race and was not listed as a campaign issue on the websites of any the candidates Ballotpedia identified as highlighted candidates. UDP has spent $600,000 on the ad supporting Elfreth. Patrick Dorton, a spokesperson for UDP, said, “While we appreciate Harry Dunn’s support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, Sarah Elfreth’s leadership on abortion rights, climate change, and domestic violence makes her a stronger candidate for the voters of Howard, Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. There [are] some serious anti-Israel candidates in this race, who are not Harry Dunn, and we need to make sure that they don’t make it to Congress.”
Juan Dominguez said his experience in the military, private sector, and public service made him a unique candidate. Dominguez completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. In it, Dominguez said he would work to increase taxes on high-income earners to pay for social services, expand healthcare access to all citizens, and implement congressional term limits.
Harry Dunn said his experience as a capitol police officer during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, caused him to run for Congress. Dunn said he would support the Freedom to Vote Act and John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to expand voting access and protections to eligible voters, overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Citizen United v. FEC by constitutional amendment, and ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
Sarah Elfreth completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. In it, Elfreth said her experience serving in the Maryland Senate prepared her for Congress. Elfreth said she would work to protect abortion access, limit gun ownership, and pass laws that she believes will positively impact the environment, including natural resources in the district such as the Chesapeake Bay. Elfreth received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D), Maryland State Sens. Pam Beidle (D), Dawn Gile (D), and Maryland Del. Dana Jones (D).
Mike Rogers completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. In it, Rogers said his military experience and time serving in the Maryland House of Delegates prepared him for Congress. Rogers said he would work to improve military members’ healthcare access, reduce economic burdens on workers via consumer protections and tax relief, and improve veteran services. Rogers received endorsements from Maryland Dels. Shaneka Henson (D) and Scott Phillips (D).
Dominguez, Donahue, Elfreth, Hill, Morse, Quinn, Rogers, and Schuman completed Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Survey. To read their responses, click here.